Top 5 Careers in the Fashion Industry

Naturally a career in fashion is a glamorous idea. The industry is diverse with many different roles – a fashion job can be anything from running exotic photo shoots in far-flung corners of the world, to managing a trend-spotting blog in the fashion media.

Here’s a rundown of our 5 top fashion industry jobs:

Garment Technologist

Garment technologist is an innovative job, working on the design and development of new materials through testing new combinations of yarns, textiles and fibres. Technologists also look at ways to improve production techniques to be more efficient. Quality control and investigative work is central to the role.

Fashion Designers

One of the highest profile roles in the industry, designers are the creative genius’ who work on the design of clothing and fashion ranges. Designers can work in any specialism, from handbags to sportswear to children’s wear. Fashion designers work across a large number of settings, including large retail brands, boutique labels and freelance.

Retail Buyer

Retail buyers are the brains behind which products or garments are sourced and stocked in advance of a coming season for retail outlets. Purchasing decisions for the company are based on customer demand, market and seasonal trends, store brand, and budget.

Fashion Illustrator

Fashion illustrators work with designers to create conceptual sketches and illustrations of fashion products, including clothing, shoes and accessories. In addition, illustrators produce advertising copy and images for promotional material in print and online.

Merchandisers

Merchandisers work closely with the buying team to ensure products appear in store, in the right quantities at the right time. To do this effectively requires accurate forecasting and close monitoring of sales performance. The role of merchandiser is closely tied to the profitability of the store each season, and involves organising sales and promotions.

Textile Designers

Textile designers create 2D designs for patterns to be used in printed, woven and knitted textiles. There are two major fields in the industry: interiors (carpets and upholstery), and fabrics for clothing.

Which fashion industry job are you seeking?